Removal and treatment of wastewater is a major task for local governments. In the early 20th century, municipalities began to adopt biological methods that now form the basis by which wastewater treatment plants function. Microorganisms act to catalyze the oxidation of biodegradable organics and other contaminants generating innocuous by-products such as carbon dioxide, water and biomass (sludge). In these systems, bacteria grow and divide, producing biosolids and clean water effluent. Today, this metabolism occurs in wastewater treatment plants which have the limits of size, retention time, processing capacity, and municipal budgets.
Technology exists, such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,578,211 and 5,788,841 and commercialized by In-Pipe Technology Company, Inc. (Wheaton, Ill.) to effectively enhance the fundamental wastewater treatment process by starting treatment at strategic locations throughout the sewer collection system. Miles of sewer pipe are transferred into an active part of the wastewater treatment process, optimizing the entire infrastructure. This improves operating economics without additional capital expenditure. Since it uses natural, biological methods that work with the treatment plant's own processes, such technology is an environmentally and economically sound sustainable solution. However, maintaining bacteria concentrations at proper levels is a significant cost associated with systems employing the '211 and '841 patents.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a device that dispenses biological solutions into a wastewater treatment environment which reduces overall costs associated with delivery of the microbial agents into the system.